joyofsoycandle Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Ok, I have a huge issue. I got a large order from the hospital gift shop for candles. My problem is this....I have done my testing on these. However, because this is my first bigger order I tested one of each to be sure they burn as normal. And guess what...for some reason they dont. I have no clue what the heck the deal is, I always used cd-12's and 14's and they burned perfect. Now, they are burning down the middle and leaving hangup around the edges. She ordered these on the 15th and I just got everything done, it took a while to get it all poured to order. Anyhow, WHAT the heck do I tell her??? I need to rewick ALL of these candles!! I just worked my butt off getting these done and now I burned one of each and they all are tunneling pretty much. Someone help me please. What the heck should I do, what can I say? Has anything like this ever happened to any of you, what did you do? Please help, I am frantic and not sure what to say to her, its already been a couple weeks and i got them ALL done and now they arnt burning right. This is my FIRST order from the hospital and now it looks to be a bomb. I hope someone has some good advice for me. HELP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherie Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 The FIRST thing you need to do right now is calm down! Getting frazzled and stressed out isn't going to change a thing. How long have you been testing this particular container, wick & wax combination? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyofsoycandle Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 Well, with this wax since about sept or oct. I have made candles for over 5 years, but it was paraffin and just switched to soy last year in the summer. Anyhow, I found that cd-12's and 14's worked each time in the 8 oz jj's every time I tested. I tested each fragrance oil. THEN, when I started selling, I tested one candle from every single batch for every order I had, just to be sure. And I got into a habit of doing that, and every time....they burned correctly. Well, this time was different. :embarasse Why this time?? No one else has mentioned any problems with there candles. Now what do I say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 I know you want to make a good impression. Tell her you are extremely sorry to tell her that there will be a slight delay in delivering her candles. Explain that you have testing procedures in place to ensure the quality and safety for all of your candles, and that this particular batch did not pass your quality test. Tell her that the candle in your test batch did not provide an "even" burn and that is not acceptable to you, even though most consumers probably would not even notice it. You did not want to jeopardize her reputation or yours by allowing her to sell what would essentially be considered "seconds."Then tell her you are already in the process of pouring new candles and should have them completed and delivered by such and such date. Then add that you will give her 1/2 dozen at no extra charge for the inconvenience.It may not even bother her that you aren't able to make the delivery date--things happen, but just make sure you make the second one, or it will look bad. I would be panicky too, but in most instances, if you're up front with people, they are willing to cut you some slack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherie Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Very well said Sockmonkey. I was going to tell her the same thing. Just be honest and she'll respect you for that and appreciate that you are the problem before it reaches her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freezin Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Was this with a new batch of wax? I just trying to think of something that might be different. I know that a supplier has sent me the wrong wax before. I can't imagine anything else since you have been testing them and using them for 4 months or so. I think you got good advice at what to say to the client. Thank goodness that you checked before. Good Luck and sorry you are experiencing this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Let us know what she responds to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VerticallyEnhanced Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 I use 100% soy and have issues with different burn qualities between lots. The wax supplier even told me I should test each time I receive a new lot. Gee, that would have been a nice thing to read on the wax information area on the website, don't you think? (Reason 13,948 I am now moving from a 100% soy wax to a blend) I had the same thing happen last year: I had been using the same wax/wick/oil combination for years and all of a sudden candles started drowning out and not burning correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soygirl Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 I don't know how bad your candles are tunnelling, so I'm just going to throw this out there. It might not be of any help, but maybe it will. How cold was the room where you test burned? I originally did my wick tests in the summer, when my house was around 75 - 80 deg. That was a mistake, because I found in the winter that the same candles had hang up on the sides when burned in a colder room. The room temp can make a difference. Aim for a good burn at around 68 - 70 degrees ambient temp. If it burns well then, don't worry about it. You can't control the temp of your customers' houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyofsoycandle Posted January 30, 2006 Author Share Posted January 30, 2006 Ya know, I never thought of that! It was all burning fine in the house we lived in before. It was very small and always kept real warm. We just moved to a large farm house, and its always cold in here. I dont crank up the heat because it costs too much! (Fuel oil) So it is colder here in this house then in my other house. And, this just started happening with the candles ive burned since here in this house. Didnt do it at the other house. But, this is the first order from her, and shes asked about it...and im so nervous of what to say. I havent said anything yet. I have to get some more oil, because I used the last of what I had of a couple fo's. And basically, I need to redo all the jars. The votives are fine though. They are burning correctly. I thought about melting them down in the oven and rewicking them, but I cant do that because then I cant anchor the wick down with wick tabs and plus they run the risk of losing some scent. So bad idea dont you think. So, I guess I need to redo them all, and this totally sucks. Horrible first impression. I havent even said a word yet because im so embarassed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celicagtca Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Doesn't that just burn your shorts! When your playing around making candles for yourself, everything turns out fine. As soon as you get that nice big order, something goes wrong. That's happened to me a couple of times, but honesty is the best advise. Just let her know the delivery has been delayed by a couple of days due to a quality issue and I'm sure she'll be understanding and comply with your company policies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 I've found that the longer you wait to break the bad news, the more you stress and fret, and in your head make things out to be much worse than they actually are. Been there, done that. What's the very worst that could happen? She could cancel her order, that's all. You will get others. I doubt it will happen anyway. Take my advice, get it over with--you'll be glad you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyofsoycandle Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 I will call her tomorrow, thanks for all of your advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Are you sure you have to redo them? If ambient temperature is the problem you might consider that many others will burn them in warmer houses. Even if they don't, how bad is the hangup really? If it just takes an extra half hour burning that wouldn't be a huge deal.Just throwing it out there, in case you can maybe save a lot of work and expense. People will always get variable results depending on how they burn your candles. Maybe the current batch will make the long burners happier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momscandles Posted January 31, 2006 Share Posted January 31, 2006 Laura when you say a big order what are we talking about here? Just a suggestion do you have testers? If so give out a couple and ask them to burn them and tell you if these ones burned as well as the others. And maybe that would let you know that it is just the bigger house issue for this batch anyway.new to all of this but just an idea.Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyofsoycandle Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 im gonna try to take some pictures, let me do that and ill post some...then yall can let me know what you think. my camera sucks, so i might have to wait til tomorrow when i can take them outside in the light lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyofsoycandle Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 Ok, these pics are really gonna suck because I can only take good pics outside in the daylight. It at least shows you enough to give you the idea of whats going on. One of the candles burned perfect, didnt start out that way, but after burning several times evened out, the rest, are very uneven. cd12s and have worked before. i dont know what to do. these are all the extra ones i made to test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildangel112 Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Thought I'd post to say that I've had this problem with the cold affecting my burn. We're having our usual strange warm winter here in La., and I've been testing my new scents for spring. I'd burned one jar down with perfect burn, waited a couple of days before burning the second I'd poured from this same batch, identical wick, jar, etc. Imagine my surprise when it proceeded to start tunneling down the center. Couldn't figure it for anything until I picked up the jar again and noticed how cool the jar was. We'd had a cold spell the night before and I hadn't left the heat on in the shop. I let the candle sit till it reached room temp. relit and got perfect burn. Sorry so long, but HTH. Good luck to you!!! :smiley2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyofsoycandle Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 well i want to pull my hair out. i dont know, come to think of it...i got a new case of the wax i use, when i moved here...so it could be the wax too i dont know. but why now...ugh.....they are all just struggling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I'm no candle maker, so I have no experience to offer as guidance, but I found this site, which makes it sound like wick size has to do with the cause of tunneling.http://www.mainesoywax.com/customer/help.php?section=wicksBut then again, they are in the business of selling wicks.I hope you can get things figured out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyofsoycandle Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 Well, cd 12's have worked until just recently, now they tunnel. So, Im not sure what the deal is. I am definately going to look into a different wax, I cant deal with constant unstability or inconsistencies (did i spell that right lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Dallas_Texas_Dean Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 After seeing the photos, I agree that you should not deliver this product. I would however take one to show and explain to the lady the situation. Honesty is the best policy and hopefully she will appreciate your extensive testing and insistance on a quality product to be associated with your name.Is there ANY other product that you CAN offer her sooner that will pacify her AND put something on her shelves while you are remaking the ones ordered? If it were me, I would GIVE her the Votives to stock just to keep her happy.Just a thought.I am so sorry this has happened to you.From what I am hearing.....such is the joy of soy.Smile:) , though....it will get better and you still have the account.Just be as professional as possible. We are all rooting for ya! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyofsoycandle Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 thank you michael! Ill let ya all know how it turns out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VerticallyEnhanced Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 That is a pretty big hang up. I am thinking out loud about everything I went through when I ended up having issues with my wax. Have you recently changed suppliers for wicks? I have found that not all suppliers are created equal even when you are dealing with standard type wicks (CD, HTP, etc.). If you have not changed suppliers, have you recently ordered a new batch of wicks? I know someone who used the same supplier for wicks and one time they sent her the wrong size by mistake. She filled a huge fundraiser order with the wrongs wicks. It was horrible for her! (Even more so because of the way the wick supplier handled the situation). Is there any way you may have put the wrong wicks in the candles? I say this because I have bins of wicks on my work top. They are all labeled, but it would be so easy for me to reach in and grab the wrong wick. I just find it odd that your one candle burned perfectly while the others did not. Same wax? Same oil? Poured at the same time from the same pot? If you say yes to all of those, it makes me think that candle has the right wick and the others don't???? Maybe if you were finishing up a bag of wicks and that GOOD candle might have been the last wick out of one bag and you broke into a new bag of wicks for the others? I am really just grasping at straws for you, can you tell? What I would do is buy another pack of whatever wick you have in those candles. Then yank those wicks in the candles which did not burn properly, replace with the new wicks, hit it with a heat gun and re burn. If they still do it, that would eliminate the wick. That leaves oil and wax. I have had a supplier change oil on me. I don't use this supplier anymore simply for that reason. The oil looked and smelled different when I got it in. Out of curiostiy I poured a test candle and it burned SO much differently. When I called and asked the about it, they informed me they changed suppliers. Uh, thanks. Again, I am just throwing out everything I went through when I had issues, hoping something will make you go "ah ha!" I know how frustrating this is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyofsoycandle Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 Hey everyone. Well, I called the lady at the gift shop, I will have the candles ready by the end of this week. But, I have had to rewick all the jars....up two wick sizes!!!!!!!! I am NOT i repeat, NOT continuing to use ezsoy!! I am now going to test the IGI 6006 and the greenleaf perfect blend. I can not stand this, i dont have the time or patience to have to rewick the candles every time the wax behaves differently! The votives are fine thank goodness, thats ky natural votive pillar wax though, that always seems to work wonderfully for me. Anyhow, i will be moving on and testing these other waxes once this order is done. Plus, i will be making candles ahead of time now...i cant stand making them to order. LOL. Plus, that way they will have time to cure. Anyhow, thanks for all your advice everyone. Oh by the way, it is the wax....i tried the same wicks in the gf 444 and they worked! :rolleyes2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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